The Gillard government has missed the deadline for establishing a pre-election leaders’ debate commission – a key element of the deal Labor struck with crossbenchers in order to form a minority government in 2010.

Prime Minister
Julia Gillard
had promised to set up a commission – an independent body to determine the when, where and who of pre-election debates free from political interference – in the first quarter of 2013.

Greens leader
Christine Milne
said she was disappointed that the Prime Minister had not fulfilled her pledge.

“Australians want to hear what all their elected representatives have to say, not just the same old rhetoric from the same old politicians and parties," she said.

But Independent MP
Rob Oakeshott
said the Greens were part of the problem. “My advice from the government is that the Liberal Party and the Greens would work against a debates commission being formed," he told The Australian Financial Review. “It’s not a lower house problem, it’s an upper house problem, where if I introduce [a bill] more than likely I’d have Labor, the Liberals and the Greens trying to kill it."

The Greens strongly support a commission – though only if debates include leaders from parties other than the main two. Former Greens leader Bob Brown said the impasse stemmed from the fact that the major parties would never support the inclusion of the Greens because they knew Senator Milne would win.

The US has a debates commission to oversee presidential debates during general elections. While there is usually a televised pre-election debate in Australia, there is no independent oversight and timing comes down to political whim and party operatives.

In opposition, Labor fought for a debates commission and three televised leaders’ debates during the election campaign.

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Mr Oakeshott challenged the government to “put it to the Parliament and test it". “Make these so-called leaders explain their positions," he said. “A debates commission has value for voters and for public policy . . . We should be able to work something out."

An online petition by the Greens calls on the major parties to establish a commission before the issuing of election writs on August 12.